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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — to bend
  5. court — of law
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. court — for sport
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lean — thin
  18. rule — a law
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wind — moving air
  21. capital — money
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. court — of a king
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com